For some, Florida drought is getting very "extreme"

[flplantguy]

Here is why.  Totally unnatural here to have one.  My yard looks like I sprayed it all but I don't do that it's just the drought.  It's been like this since the end of September before that it was just enough to struggle through a bit.  The green by the house are new tecomas I started from seed, and of course the succulents did ok

[flplantguy]

I got .17 inches yesterday and hoping for more today. The low is wrapping up in the Gulf so I'm crossing my fingers.

[flplantguy]

Models for south Florida are looking insane for rain amounts, while this area is still nul.  I have never seen the kind of rain that the other coast gets even in wet years here, and this latest bout has the dry slot right over the Tampa Bay area.  Wettest year on record there and dryest here. Crazy.

[kinzyjr]

Ended up with a touch over half an inch of rain today.  I'll take it.  It may help offset a disappointing growing season if we don't get a nasty cold blast over the next 3-4 months.

[flplantguy]

.06 today for a whopping total of .23 inches for the two days.  Maybe that will magically change overnight but everything will be going in the greenhouse soon anyway so after this event it doesn't matter. I think it was enough for the cacti at least.  Two cold fronts on the way in models so maybe cold front rains to come.

[SubTropicRay]

I had a whopping .49" for 2 days.  Better than nothing but only just barely.  

[flplantguy]

I stopped paying attention so mother nature threw a curve ball and I've gotten almost half an inch and counting today when the forecast was a drying trend. I messed up and brought in the umbrella yesterday and not today so I'm getting soaked later. Typical Florida lol

[kinzyjr]

4 hours ago, flplantguy said:

I stopped paying attention so mother nature threw a curve ball and I've gotten almost half an inch and counting today when the forecast was a drying trend. I messed up and brought in the umbrella yesterday and not today so I'm getting soaked later. Typical Florida lol

Added another half inch of rain today.  Where was this when it was a week straight of 100s this summer? 🤯

[flplantguy]

29 minutes ago, kinzyjr said:

Added another half inch of rain today.  Where was this when it was a week straight of 100s this summer? 🤯

I was thinking on the way home that I have never driven that drive after a long rainy day, and had no idea if it was flood prone or not. After a whole year here and a "rainy season" in the books. It took November to get an inch of rain again lol.

[flplantguy]

It's been local just not here till today and I'm thrilled. My pothos transplant may live after all

[D. Morrowii]

Since Monday we got a little over 3” and 2 of those are from today..

[Looking Glass]

The storm that moved through here absolutely pounded us for days.  Worst water issues I’ve had at the house in the 3.5 years were been here.   Worse than the 26 inches of rain in a day in April, and worse than the foot we got overnight a couple Novembers ago.   Talking to people at work many people had issues with leaks and flooding.   We got at least 13+ inches at the house, but the consistent driving wind was crazy and the event went on for about 72 straight hours if you count the pregame.   It was like a weak hurricane, but lasting forever.  Miami area had gusts over 75 miles per hour.  

The usual sources I use didn’t seem to record any rain amounts, after about Monday to early Tuesday.   Not sure what’s up with that, cause it was a crazy amount.  
 

I was looking at the radar around Tampa the past couple of days, and it was like you guys had a protective force-field around the place.   

[Palmarum]

1 hour ago, Looking Glass said:

The storm that moved through here absolutely pounded us for days.  ...

A crazy two days of wind and rain, like an unnamed storm.

The estimate above for Pembroke Pines is accurate for what I got, 2.5 inches on Tuesday and about 9 inches on Wednesday. The rain ended quick on Thursday morning, but was followed by the wind... 40+ mph gusts... which were also a pain. The water drains quick here at least, leaving a mess though.  Watching the radar above on Wednesday was haunting. It barely moved at all and seemed never ending.

If I could have piped it North to yall who need it, I would have.

Ryan

[flplantguy]

I'm starting to think the "Tampa shield" hurricane people talk about may actually be a weather phenomenon or something.  Like the area with the continent close by changes how the moisture works and it can't downpour like that so easily. Except st Pete one December had a crazy total. Tropical storm Debby in 2012 was kind of like that too. About 12 hours and some stations recorded almost 30 inches and all were over 10.  It can happen just not as often I think.

[Bill H2DB]

As of 7:30 am  11/17/23  , I have received  6.64" of rain here at my House .  Of that total , 6.30" , came after 8 am yesterday morning .

A friend of mine , a little away inland , shows 8.57" in his PWS data for the same period .

[Eric in Orlando]

Finally got some rain in Altamonte Springs, over 5 inches so far.

 

 

[SubTropicRay]

It's funny publishing this after SE Florida got 6000 inches of rain over the last few days.  That bring totals in that area to upwards of 100000 inches this year.  Must be nice.  In the meantime, I'll add my paltry .50" to my 33" year total and move forward until the next .0000000003" rainfall.  My area is now "only" 14 inches below normal.

 

[SFLP48584]

I see what you mean Ray.

-John

[RedRabbit]

[flplantguy]

10 hours ago, RedRabbit said:

That little spot of orange and yellow down there is probably annoyed too lol.  Maybe not with all the flooding. Oh wait that's the lake lol.

[RFun]

Cooler temps should provide a bit of relief.  I see that it is the Tampa Bay area that is the troubled spot.  I'm thinking there will be rain on the way for that area soon.  Pretty good shot at precip. for late November into early December.

Edited November 23, 2023 by RFun

[ruskinPalms]

That drought map looks a little like the new zone 10A map around west central Florida area 🤣

[ruskinPalms]

Safe to say, the areas that are D3 (excluding the panhandle D3 areas) on the map are climatologicaly the same in some way. 

Edited November 23, 2023 by ruskinPalms

[ruskinPalms]

By the way I’m firmly in the west central FL D3 area. This really has been the driest year I can remember since living in this general area since 1997.  

[flplantguy]

The fact this year beat 98 in that small area is scary for the future.  Hopefully next year is the opposite and we recover with a normal pattern.  This weekend starts the pipe laying for irrigation lines.  Plant wisely and have them available for years like this.  If I had a full garden...

[SubTropicRay]

Got a decent soaking last night.  Otherwise..... 

[kinzyjr]

Ended up with about a quarter inch of rain.  It will help for now.  It's going to start going "below average" with some regularity though, so hope it doesn't soak the crowns of all of the palms before a freeze.

[SubTropicRay]

I have noticed the oaks in my area haven't produced a single acorn.  That's never happened but neither has a 15" rainfall deficit.  

[flplantguy]

48 minutes ago, SubTropicRay said:

I have noticed the oaks in my area haven't produced a single acorn.  That's never happened but neither has a 15" rainfall deficit.  

I saw tons last year and none this year, so I figured it was an in between year for them.  Add the drought and I'm surprised more leaves haven't fallen already too.

[SubTropicRay]

Nothing to see here 

 

[flplantguy]

I saw another model with a teaser storm in the future but it's weeks out. Till then nada but last night it drizzled out of nowhere so who knows?

[SubTropicRay]

The panhandle is looking better.  Otherwise, another week of drought strengthening

[SubTropicRay]

The panhandle drought is just about gone.  Good for those folks.  Status quo elsewhere.  The question is can Ft. Lauderdale catch Hilo's yearly rain total for 2023?

[SeanK]

Rain forecast for tonight on the FL west coast. 

[SubTropicRay]

So far, the event is a bust again.   Rain totals are less than 1/2" for my area thus far.  That's a far cry from 2-4" potential being discussed yesterday.  Drought is strong.

[Looking Glass]

31 minutes ago, SubTropicRay said:

So far, the event is a bust again.   Rain totals are less than 1/2" for my area thus far.  That's a far cry from 2-4" potential being discussed yesterday.  Drought is strong.

It was mostly wind down here.  Been alternating between drizzle and light rain for days, with occasional heavier brief blowing rains.   In the end it will probably be a couple inch event only.  Definitely oversold by the press.   But still enough to give everything a nice slow, deep winter soak with temps in the 70s.   The wind has been pretty gusty for days though.  

I think we did surpass Hilo’s rain totals for 2023, so I can’t complain this year, for once.  

Edited December 16, 2023 by Looking Glass

[Jimbean]

Been getting drizzle with intermittent heavier rain over on the east coast.

[flplantguy]

Over 2 inches today and still raining.  Thats the most in one rain event this year.  This past month has been the rainiest too.  Hopefully it keeps up.

[Jimbean]

Looks like a subtropical storm

[D. Morrowii]

9 hours ago, Jimbean said:

Looks like a subtropical storm

It has that feel to it this morning too!